Loyalty*

SUMMARY: Birthday clubs are a proven traffic driver for many brick-and-mortar stores, but does the tactic work as well online? Well, that depends on your incentive.

See how one retailer launched and grew a loyalty club into 2 million happy subscribers who keep coming back for more. Includes clickthrough and coupon download rates that are simply delicious. read the complete case study

SUMMARY: Fostering social change is not a common goal for brands. But if your audience is ready to discuss taboo subjects, your marketing can be a rallying point that dispels myths while boosting reputation and sales.

See how Kotex determined that its customers were ready for frank messages about women's bodies and health. The team radically repositioned its marketing and has boosted Kotex's market share. Includes tips on conducting customer research and creating content that encourages discussion. read the complete article

SUMMARY: The traditional marketing funnel is broken, says Joseph Jaffe, marketing consultant and author. Its emphasis on customer acquisition means marketers spend most of their time looking for new customers rather than nurturing the ones they already have.

Changing this marketing paradigm is the call-to-arms of Jaffe’s latest marketing book, “Flip the Funnel,” which officially launched with a keynote presentation at MarketingSherpa’s Email Summit in Miami last week. We sat down with him for an interview following his speech to learn more, and to outline five key strategies for changing your company’s marketing focus. read the complete interview

SUMMARY: Working with Survey Sampling to access a nationally representative sample of consumers, this year’s Popular Media Study explores social media usage, and how it may affect the relationship people have with commercial interests. read the complete article